Chapter Text
Thorin wasn't nervous. Sure, he had butterflies in his stomach and felt like he was about to throw up. Yes, he had checked his watch more times in the past five minutes than he had in the entirety of his life. He might have been pacing around his house like a caged animal. But he wasn't nervous. At least that's what he told himself.
He had invited a few of his friends to his house for a get-together under the pretence that his sister and nephews were in town for a couple of days. Thorin had sent out an invitation to his closest friends, who were more like family, to come over for food and drink and a good catch up. He also invited Bilbo, the latest addition to Thorin's inner circle.
It wasn't a big deal. Nobody really knew his motives behind the dinner party he was throwing. Maybe Dis did, his sister had a way of reading people's minds, of knowing what people wanted before they knew themselves. He was doing this because he wanted everyone's approval of Bilbo. Thorin needed them to like him.
There was a loud knock on the door. Thorin felt his heart beat faster, the butterflies intensified. He took a deep breath and went to answer the door, as he pulled it open, relief flooded him. It was just Dwalin and his older brother, Balin.
"Evening" Dwalin greeted his host as he entered the house. "You look awful."
Thorin grumbled a reply and let the brothers pass. Balin gave him a sympathetic look and a pat on the arm. They all settled in the lounge and talked over bottles of beer. Balin was in the middle of telling them about how one of the students in his history class answered all of the questions directed at them in rhyme when there was another knock at the door.
Dwalin snickered when he saw how Thorin's face paled slightly. There was no reason for it as the door opened almost immediately after the knock. A scuffle of rapid footsteps and a unified cry of "Uncle!" later, Thorin found himself squashed into the sofa, buried underneath his nephews.
The boys were the very definition of 'trouble maker'. They were always up to something, Thorin had hoped they would grow out of it, they were young adults now but they still acted like toddlers sometimes. Even so, Thorin loved his nephews like they were his own sons.
"Fili! Kili!" His sister shouted from the hallway, she couldn't even see what had happened, she just knew. "Get off your uncle, come back here and take off your shoes."
The two boys untangled themselves from the mess they had made and did as they were told, they came back into the room with their mother. Dis swept around the room, hugging each of the men in turn and took a seat in the big armchair closest to the wood burner.
Once the new arrivals had settled in, Thorin went into the kitchen to check on his food and fetch some nibbles and more drinks. He must have been in there longer than he thought, because when he went back to the lounge Dain was sat amongst the group chatting away loudly, Thorin greeted him with a clap on the shoulder after he passed the drinks around and set the snacks on the coffee table.
"Is there anyone else coming?" Dis asked as he sat back down. "Seems like quite a full house you've got here, brother."
"Uh, just one more." Thorin said quietly with a quick glance towards the door.
"I don't think he'll fit, Uncle." Kili piped up from his spot on the hearth rug. "Unless you got a bigger table."
Dwalin chuckled and took a sip of his beer. "Don't you worry, lad, Bilbo doesn't take up much space."
"Shut up, Dwalin." Thorin sighed, he pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. Of course Dwalin knew about Thorin's infatuation, despite the fact he had a job of his own, Dwalin spent almost as much time at the flower shop as he did.
"I was just saying, he's only a little man."
Fili and Kili looked at each other before they fell apart laughing. It didn't take long for Dain to join them, he didn't help the situation by making a few lewd jokes. Dis rolled her eyes and reached out to swat her sons on the back of their heads.
There was a quiet tapping noise that no one really noticed at first, it got lost within the noise of laughter and merry conversation. It sounded again, a bit stronger this time, only Dis seemed to hear it. She left Thorin to his conversation with his nephews and Balin and went to answer it herself.
"...so sorry about leaving you out there, dear." Thorin heard his sister talking to someone in the hallway and looked up. "It can get a bit loud when the boys all get together."
"It's fine." Bilbo's voice drifted through, Thorin could tell he was smiling. "Anyway it shouldn't be you apologising, it should be your brother."
They appeared in the doorway to the lounge and their eyes met immediately. The butterflies that had all but disappeared made their presence known. Thorin rose to greet his final and, in his opinion, most important guest. A 'hello', a 'good evening', a 'glad you could make it'. Any of those would have been fantastic, all that escaped Thorin's lips was a breathless "Bilbo."
Dis looked curiously between her brother and the shorter, curly haired man at her side a couple of times, a small smile started to form. When she caught Dwalin's eye and he gave her a little nod, she grinned wider.